Back to Health...Back to Fully Living

Sharon Sheard loves kids. Good thing, too, and not just because she has
five of her own. Her 30-year career as a daycare professional was all
about children: engaging them, teaching them, and lifting them. She thought
her backache came with the job, but it was more serious than that. Even
after her retirement, intense pain persisted and essentially sidelined
her from life. "I had been on many prescription pills and painkillers,
even intravenous infusions of medication once a month for six years, but
there was still pain," Sharon recalled.

Not giving up, Sharon's doctor referred her to more specialists, including
Praveen Prasad, M.D., Board Certified in both neurosurgery and internal
medicine. Educated at Stanford and UC Davis, and on the clinical faculty
at the UC Davis Medical Center, Dr. Prasad is a specialist in spine surgery
at Rideout's Neurosurgery Center in Marysville. "I chose Dr.
Prasad because he explained the operation I needed in full detail, encouraged
questions from me and from my husband, and helped me make an intelligent
decision." She was impressed by the medical and nursing team at Rideout
Memorial - "all very attentive, very kind, which my husband really
appreciated" - but reserved her highest praise for her surgeon.

"I believe I chose the very best doctor to perform my operation; anyone
who has the opportunity to work with or be a patient of Dr. Prasad is
truly blessed."

Sharon had her surgery in September 2009 and hasn't had a pain pill
since that November.

"I'm back working in my garden again. My husband and children
cannot believe how much better I am." Now able to truly enjoy her
retirement, Sharon won't miss being surrounded by kids: after all,
she and her husband have 11 grandchildren.